Improvement in machines for rossing and grindin



lll'iiurri113A STATES SAMUEL E. THOMPSON, OF PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT lNMAcHlNEs FoRRosslNe AND eRiNDiNG BARK.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 176,709, dated April 25, 11576; application filed 'March e, 12576.

To all whom t mag/concern:

vBe it known that I, SAMUE; R. THOMPSON, of Portsmouth, in the county of Rockingham and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain Improvement in Machines for ARossin g and Grinding Bark, of which the following isA a specification In the accompanying drawing, forming a.

part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vperspective view of my improved machine, showing the feed-roll elevated. section ot the same. Fig. 3 is a` perspective view :of one of the sections of the cuttingcylinder. Fig. 4t is a sectional view of the cutting-cylinder, and Figs.` 5 and 6 are sectional views of the machine, showing the hop' per. v

This invention relatesto the machines for grinding or rossing tan-bark which employ a rotary cutter for shaving or'grinding the bark, a feed-roll for feeding the bark to and pressing it upon the cutter, and a bed-plate for supporting the bark as it is fed to the cutter.

The invention has for its object to improve the construction of bark rossing and grinding machines in regard to the feeding mechanism therefrom, and to facilitate the 'grinding of coarse fragments of bark.

To these ends my invention consists, first, incertain details of vconstruction whereby the feed-roll is adapted' to be adjusted horizontally in such manner as to enable it to be depressed below the upper surface of the cutting-cylinder without striking the latter when the entire harkis to be ground. It sonsists, secondly, in the combination of a stationary cutting-cylinder with a feed-roll, which is adjust able both vertically and horizontally, whereby the cutting-cylinder is adapted to grind the ross and liber together, or to shave the rind or liber from the ross. It consists, lastly, in a hopper adapted to hold fragments of bark and Fig. 2 is a vertical of a series of sections or collars, a, located in close contact with each other on a horizontal arbor, A', which revolves in suitable bearings on the supporting-frame B. Eachof the sections or collarsia is provided with a central opening, o, adapted to receive the arbor A', and one or more teeth projecting from its periphery, as shown in Fig. 3, these teeth being so formed as to shave fragments of rind or liber from a pi'ece of bark passed over the cylinder A in a direction opposite to the direction of the rotation of the cylinder. Each tooth a is of the same width as the collar on which it is located, and the teeth are arranged along the cylinder in spiral rows or series, so that as the cylinder is revolved the teeth act successively on the bark, each tooth detaching or shaving a small fragment from the bark. .v The sections are confined onthe 'arbor A1 by anut, A2. O represents a receptacle under the cutting-cylinder A into which the 'shavings fall from the cutter, and D is an hinged arms F F, the free ends of which can be raised or lowered, while the hinged ends can be adjusted horizontally in the horizontal slots g of theears H, these movements ofthe -arms enabling the feed-roll to be moved toward or away from the cutting-cylinder vertically and horizontally, the vertical adjustment enabling various thicknesses of bark to be rossed, and the horizontal adjustment enabling the feed-roll to be moved toward the The roll The feed-roll is rendered adjustablev vertically and horizontally by means of the -front of the machine, so that it may be lowered without striking the cutting-cylinder, when it is desirable to grind the ross with the rind or liber. The downward movement of the arms F is limited by adjustable stops or rests l I, these consisting of nuts i located on vertical threaded standards which project from the supporting-frame B, the upper ends of the standards projecting through slots J J in the arms F. By adjusting the nuts on 'the standards z" the feed-roll is supported at any desired height above the cutting-cylinder. The feed-roll is preferably held downwardly, with a yielding pressure greater than would be afforded by its own weight, by weights K, which are attached to the free ends of thel arms F.

M represents a bed-plate located in front of the cutting-cylinder A, and adapted to support the bark as it passes to the cylinder. The bed-plate is supported by two or more verticallyadjustable threaded standards, M1, which pass through tapped lugs M2 in the frame A. By turning the standards Ml the bed-plate may be raised or lowered to any de sired extent, so as to regulate the thickness ofthe. shavingsof liber taken from the bark by the teeth a', or to allow the bark to be ground entire. O represents a friction-roller journaled in the sides of the bed-plate M, and

projecting slightly above the upper surface-of the same, as shown in Fig. 3. This roller supports the bark and facilitates its ypassage to the cutting-cylinder. P represents a spout or extension ofthe bedplate, which is hinged to the outer end of the bed-plate, and is adapted to be inclined downwardly to any desired ex tent, so as to facilitate the presentation of a longitudinally curved piece of bark to the cutting-cylinder. The sheets of bar-k in drying are liable to become warped, the rind' or liber side becoming concave; consequently, if the bed-plate is horizontal, the end ot' the bark is liable to be inclined downwardly as it meets the teeth a, and in this position greater pressure is required to straighten the bark and cause it to pass between the cutting-cylinder and the feed-roll. The hinged extension P, however, enables. the outer end of the bark to be depressed, so as to present the inner end to the cutting-cylinder in a substantially horizontal position, and enable it to be passed readily over the cuttingcylinder. T represents a hopper, which is adapted to constitute a bottoJnless box-or casing around the feedroll and the upper surface of the cutting-cylinder, as shown in Fig. 5, the lower edge of the hopper resting on the bed-plate and ineline D. The hopper is adapted to receive fragments of bark and feed them to the cutter. The sides of the hopper are provided with hinged flaps U U, which are adapted to be raised, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, when the machine is used for-rossing. The cutting-cylinder and feed-roll are rotated differentially by pulleys R S, which are driven by belts, the cutting-cylinder being rotated at a higher rate of speed than the feed-roll.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the following advantages are obtained, viz., the feed-roll isenabled to be adjusted vertically, so as to admit any desired thickness of bark between itself and the cutting-cylinder. The feed-roll is enabled to be moved horizontally away from the cutting-cylinder, by means of the horizontal slots in the ears H, so as to admit of its being lowered, together with the bed-plate, so far as to enable the cutting-cylinder to grind the ross with the rind or liber. The adj ustability-of the bed-plate and the feedroll enables any desired thickness of rind or liber to be shaved from the bark. Thehinged extension of the bed-plate enables curved bark 'to be properly presented to the cutting-cylinder, and the hopper enables small pieces or fragments of bark to be conveniently ground. I do not confine myself to the precise construction and combination of parts shown and described, as various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. used with a non-adinstable bed-plate, and the adjustable bed-plate may-be used with a nonadjustable feed-roll when only one kind of work is to be done. the hopper may be adapted to form an extension ofthe bed-plate when lowered, as shown in Fig. 6, by dotted lines. The ends of the hopper should be provided with vslots adapted to enable the feed-roll to be adjusted.

I claim- 1. The hinged arms 'F F, supporting the feed-roll E, combined with the horizontal slots g, whereby the feed-roll is enabled to be adjusted horizontally.

2. The stationary cutting-cylinder A, combined with the horizontally and vertically adjustable feed-roll E, and the vertically adjustable bed-plate M, substantially as described.

3. The hopper T, having the hinged flaps U U, combined with the feed-roll E and cut ting-cylinder A, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ha ve-signed my name to this specification inthe presence-of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL a. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

SAML. M. BARTON, l C. F. BROWN.

The adjustable feed-roll may be' O-ne of the iiaps U of 

